Department for Transport

Hurst Green-Uckfield Railway Line

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of modern Class 170 diesel trains that would be released for re-deployment if the route from Hurst Green to Uckfield were electrified.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We have not done an assessment but electrification of the route is expected to be considered as part of the Network Rail led Electrification Route Study.

Railways: Franchises

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the scope of the deep alliance between Abellio ScotRail and Network Rail, and what are the expected financial benefits of that alliance.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Alliance Agreement is primarily a commercial matter between Abellio ScotRail Limited and Network Rail Infrastructure Limited. The terms of the agreement are published in the Alliance Agreement between Network Rail Infrastructure Limited and Abellio Scotrail Limited. A redacted copy is attached.As the alliance relates directly to the ScotRail franchise awarded by the Scottish Ministers, the UK Government does not hold information on the expected financial benefits.



Terms of Agreement
(PDF Document, 3.58 MB)

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Turkey: Press Freedom

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Turkey about the arrests of the senior editors of Nokta, and of journalists from Bugun and Milliyet.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We continue to monitor these specific cases and regularly underline the importance of freedom of expression and all fundamental freedoms as part of our broader dialogue with the Turkish government. We welcomed the EU Commission’s Annual Progress Report on Turkey, released on 10 November, which highlighted the need for further reforms from Turkey in these areas. Freedom of expression must be respected and all media outlets must be allowed to report freely without intimidation.

Trade Agreements

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with negotiating parties in the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement to ensure that the provisions relating to copyright, trade secrets and intellectual property do not harm freedom of expression.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK is not a party to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement and as such we have not had discussions with negotiating parties on provisions relating to copyright, trade secrets and intellectual property and their impact on freedom of expression.

Maldives: Politics and Government

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will consider imposing travel bans on, and freezing the assets of, senior figures in the Maldives who have been involved in the suspension of constitutional protections in that country.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: As the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire) made clear in his statement on 4 November, we are deeply worried by recent developments in the Maldives. While we welcomed the lifting of the State of Emergency on 10 November, we now urge the government to fully uphold the commitments it has made – including as a member of the Commonwealth – to democracy and the rule of law. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and we are carefully considering our next steps.

Maldives: Politics and Government

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions will take place at the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference in Malta about the recent state of emergency declared in the Maldives.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: On 10 November the Maldivian government lifted the State of Emergency. The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire) welcomed the announcement.On 11 November the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) and Mr Swire met Kamalesh Sharma, the Commonwealth Secretary General. The Prime Minister urged the Secretary General to use the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), and in particular the meeting of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group, to highlight the situation in the Maldives and to support the process of restoring democracy and the rule of law.

Maldives: Politics and Government

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will raise with Prime Minister Modi, during his visit to the United Kingdom, the role of India in brokering talks between the government and opposition parties in the Maldives.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We continue to have serious concerns about the situation in the Maldives. My Rt Hon. Friend the Member for East Devon ( Mr Swire) raised publically and privately with Maldives Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) raised the issue with Prime Minister Modi during his visit. In a joint press statement released by the UK and India on 12 November the two Prime Ministers emphasised the importance of a stable and inclusive democracy in the Maldives, including an independent judiciary.

Mohamed Nasheed

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made about the health and wellbeing of, and the prison conditions being experienced by, former President of the Maldives Mohammed Nasheed.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), has spoken directly with the Maldives Foreign Minister on a number of occasions regarding former President Nasheed and in August wrote to her expressing our concern about Mr Nasheed's return to prison. On 10 November Mr Swire met for a second time Mrs Laila Ali, wife of former President Nasheed as well as Amal Clooney and Ben Emmerson QC from Mr Nasheed’s legal team. The meeting was an opportunity to discuss the situation in the Maldives as well as Mr Nasheed’s case, his health and wellbeing.

India: Human Rights

Lord Ahmed: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether pre-planned lynchings, immolations, and attacks on Muslim burial grounds have taken place during the term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and whether they will raise the question of human rights with him.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are aware of recent incidents of sectarian violence. These are being investigated by the Indian authorities, and arrests have been made. We are clear that any allegations of human rights abuses should be investigated thoroughly, promptly and transparently.

Egypt and Turkey: Freedom of Expression

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the action that could be taken to assist freedom of expression in Egypt and Turkey; and what assessment they have made of whether fair criticism would improve the economy and the quality of government in each country.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: More political progress is essential for Egypt's long-term stability. This includes freedom of the press, as well as freedom of expression in all its forms. We also want to see better protection of Egyptians' constitutional rights and more space for non-governmental organisations and civil society. Ministers and officials regularly raise our concerns with their Egyptian counterparts. When the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), met President Sisi on 5 November they spoke about the need for political progress in Egypt as the essential foundation for Egypt's long-term stability. For further details of our assessment I am attaching relevant extracts from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s 2013 and 2014 Human Rights and Democracy Reports.We regularly underline the importance of all fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression,with the Turkish government. The EU’s 2015 Annual Progress Report on Turkey highlighted that the high turnout in elections this year were a clear sign of the strength of Turkish democracy, and that the Turkish economy is well advanced, while recognising that Turkey needs to do more to meet EU standards through continuing to reform, particularly in the areas of fundamental rights and rule of law. Active and credible accession negotiations remain the best way for Turkey to make further progress.



Case studies on Egypt from 2013 and 2014 Reports
(Word Document, 23.29 KB)

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Small Businesses: Internet

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what specific steps they are taking to help SMEs to move online.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: As part of our wider support for small businesses, Government has provided funding to Local Enterprise Partnerships to extend the reach of their digital support for small firms. We are also increasing the number of Digital Trade Advisors working around the country to help small businesses expand into new overseas markets.Government supports the extensive range of private sector-led activity to help small businesses improve their digital skills. We particularly welcome the work that Go ON UK does to encourage and join up this activity.In addition to this, Government’s Broadband Connection Voucher Scheme allowed businesses to apply for grants of up to £3,000 to help them move to a faster digital market and connect to superfast broadband. The initiative has now allocated all of the £40m available funding since April 2015, with more than 55,000 small businesses across the UK taking up the offer.

Construction: Training

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the report by KPMG Skills to Build?, stating that housebuilding capacity could be restricted by a construction skills shortage; and whether they will take steps to increase the amount of education and training places for construction trades.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government has made no separate assessment of the KPMG report. There are a number of reports that provide a good indication of the skills the construction industry believes it will require between 2015 and 2019, for both housing and wider construction.The Government values post-16 education, including construction education and training, highly. We have made substantial progress driving up the quality and rigour of the post-16 offer, and area-based reviews of 16+ provision are providing an opportunity for institutions and localities to restructure provision to achieve maximum impact.Initiatives, by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), or flowing from the work of the Construction Leadership Council, are seeking to encourage more young people into construction careers including the launch of the GO-Construct website and work with the National Careers Service and Construction Ambassadors for schools. In addition the CITBhas developed a range of initiatives, working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions, the Armed Forces resettlement service and Local Enterprise Partnerships, to encourage experienced individuals into the sector.While CITB returned over £42m last year, supporting 18,500 first, second and third year construction apprentices, it is clear that the sector is not currently offering enough apprenticeships nor opportunities for young people to train. The 17,000 apprenticeships starts in 2015/16 is still some way below the 27,000 offered in 2006. The CITB has developed a number of shared apprenticeships schemes and reformed the grant process to encourage apprenticeship take up. In addition, the Government continues to pay AGE grant, on top of its usual support for the training of young apprentices, to encourage companies to take on their first apprentices. At the summer budget the Chancellor announced a levy on large employers across all sectors to fund apprenticeships. This will link larger employers directly to its skills investment and promote the value, and drive the uptake, of apprenticeships.The Chancellor will announce further details of the apprenticeship levy, including the scope and rate, at the Spending Review.

Ministry of Justice

Immigration: Children

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government based on closed matters, what was (1) the total number of immigration cases (not including asylum) involving children under 18, and (2) the total civil legal aid spending on those cases in 2012–13.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many cases where legal aid advice or representation was granted involved children in (1) immigration, or (2) asylum cases each year for the last five years; and how much was paid out in total and on average in each such year.

Lord Faulks: The total number of closed non-asylum immigration cases for 2012/13 where the appellant was recorded as being under 18 cannot be provided by Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service without incurring disproportionate costs.The table below shows volumes of legal aid claims paid in immigration and asylum matters, and the expenditure on the same covering the last five financial years, where the assisted party was an individual under 18 years of age.As this information is based on closed cases only (i.e. where the final bill has been paid) it will not reflect the total number of cases for which legal aid funding has been made available, particularly in more recent years.Please note that asylum cases cannot be separately reported on at the Civil Representation level.Legal aid is a vital part of our justice system, but we cannot escape the continuing need to reduce the deficit. The Coalition Government reformed legal aid to reduce its cost and ensure the system commands the confidence of the public. The great majority of unaccompanied children are asylum seekers, and therefore will continue to be eligible for legal aid.Legal Help / Controlled Legal RepresentationCivil RepresentationImmigrationAsylumImmigration and AsylumVolumeValue (£)VolumeValue (£)VolumeValue (£)2010-20113,9071,917,9369,2298,576,360136335,6752011-20121,623889,9976,3896,812,981131541,1462012-2013915431,1924,1304,962,635141490,0592013-2014486254,7473,4904,094,460125690,4012014-2015231104,9684,1334,761,707166539,570Legal aid is a vital part of our justice system, but we cannot escape the continuing need to reduce the deficit. The Coalition Government reformed legal aid to reduce its cost and focus it on those who most need legal advice or help. Last year we spent £1.6bn on legal aid, around a quarter of the department’s expenditure.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Food Poverty

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the implications for social policy of (1) the February 2014 report Household Food Security in the UK: A Review of Food Aid; and (2) the 2015 book by Stewart Lansley and Joanna Mack, Breadline Britain.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The “Review of Food Aid in the UK” was a short, literature based study designed to improve understanding of food aid provision in the UK, who makes use of it, and why. It was not a complete assessment of food aid as it found a variety of types of food aid, with mostly community-led provision responding to local needs. The report concluded that there is a lack of systematic peer-reviewed research from the UK on the reasons or immediate circumstances leading people to turn to food aid. Research such as the Review of Food Aid in the UK report and other publications provide evidence that informs the formulation of social policy in the UK.The Government is committed to tackling poverty and social disadvantage in all its forms in every part of the country. Work remains the most sustainable way out of poverty and means for parents to provide security for their families.

Food: Waste

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are encouraging supermarkets to abandon strict cosmetic specifications for farm products that result in edible food being wasted.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Government, through the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), is working with food manufacturers and retailers, including all the major UK supermarkets, to meet targets to reduce food waste from the grocery supply chain under the Courtauld Commitment. Signatories have reported a 7.4% reduction in supply chain waste between 2009-2012, with interim results for Courtauld 3 showing a further 3.2% reduction by 2014.WRAP has worked with supermarkets and consumers to support acceptance and use of ‘imperfect’ fruit and vegetables. Work is also in progress with signatories, trade bodies and redistribution organisations to build a better understanding of the amounts and causes of waste in the supply of food and drink. WRAP is currently brokering a new agreement, Courtauld 2025, which will build on this progress.

Agriculture: Pay

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the average wage increase of agricultural workers since the abolition of the Agricultural Wages Board.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) collects information on average wage rates of farm workers, via their Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE).The abolition of the Agricultural Wages Board came into effect on 30 September 2013.The table below shows the average (median) hourly pay for farm workers, excluding overtime, for the most recent four years available. The data is compiled through a sample survey and is therefore subject to a level of sampling error.2011201220132014 (prov)Farm workers£7.70£7.52£7.76£7.83Source: ONS ASHE – Table 14.6a – Hourly pay excluding overtime

Non-native Species

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have a list of invasive non-native species arriving on UK shores that they wish to eradicate, and if so, whether Japanese knotweed is on that list.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Biodiversity is a devolved matter. In England, there are currently five species subject to national eradication programmes. These are Ruddy duck, Monk parakeet, Topmouth gudgeon, American bullfrog and Water primrose.Nevertheless, in England, the work of Local Action Groups, established with Government support, has reduced or eradicated Japanese knotweed in several places. For example, in Bristol, 95% of the Japanese knotweed surveyed by the Avon Invasive Weed Forum is now under management.The Government also continues to explore biocontrol options through the controlled release of a psyllid insect.

Home Office

Visas

Lord Ahmed: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many visa applications were made by visitors from (1) Pakistan, (2) India, (3) Bangladesh, and (4) China, in each of the last two years, and what was the total success rate for each category in each year.

Lord Bates: The information requested is provided in the attached table.Entry clearance visitor visa cases resolved by nationality (including dependants)Year NationalityApplicationsCases Resolvedof which:Granted%Refused%Withdrawn or lapsed2013Pakistan85,74988,90161,57869%27,10230%273152014Pakistan87,54189,70957,11764%32,33236%325602013India352,740354,262316,91189%36,51010%373122014India352,880354,184319,80490%33,6479%343442013Bangladesh25,08925,84218,10770%7,58829%77342014Bangladesh24,15324,51616,02765%8,42034%84842013China303,746303,668291,82696%11,3054%118212014China338,847340,064327,34996%12,2504%12687Notes: Data on visa grants and refusals may relate to applications made in an earlier period. For this reason the grant and refusal rates are calculated as proportions of the total resolved cases in each year, not the total applications.Source:Immigration Statistics April-June 2015, Home Office, tables vi_01_q, and corresponding datasets.The latest quarterly Home Office immigration statistics on entry clearance visas are published in ‘Immigration Statistics, April-June 2015’, available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-statistics

Visas

Lord Ahmed: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of visitor visas from (1) Pakistan, (2) India, (3) Bangladesh, and (4) China, were rejected in each of the last two years.

Lord Bates: The information requested is provided in the table below.Entry clearance visitor visa cases resolved by nationality (including dependants)Year NationalityApplicationsCases Resolvedof which:Granted%Refused%Withdrawn or lapsed2013Pakistan85,74988,90161,57869%27,10230%273152014Pakistan87,54189,70957,11764%32,33236%325602013India352,740354,262316,91189%36,51010%373122014India352,880354,184319,80490%33,6479%343442013Bangladesh25,08925,84218,10770%7,58829%77342014Bangladesh24,15324,51616,02765%8,42034%84842013China303,746303,668291,82696%11,3054%118212014China338,847340,064327,34996%12,2504%12687Notes: Data on visa grants and refusals may relate to applications made in an earlier period. For this reason the grant and refusal rates are calculated as proportions of the total resolved cases in each year, not the total applications.Source:Immigration Statistics April-June 2015, Home Office, tables vi_01_q, and corresponding datasets.The latest quarterly Home Office immigration statistics on entry clearance visas are published in ‘Immigration Statistics, April-June 2015’, available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-statistics

Immigration: Statistics

Lord Teverson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which of the 34 current OECD countries include international students within their national immigration statistics, and which do not.

Lord Bates: The majority of our major competitors for the brightest and best students, including Australia, Canada and the USA, include international students in their national migration statistics.The UK’s immigration statistics, published by the independent Office for National Statistics (ONS), follow the internationally agreed United Nations definitions. These define a migrant as someone who changes their normal place of residence for more than a year. Students are therefore included in the same way as other migrants.The categories of migrant included by other OECD countries in their statistical returns to the OECD is contained in the annex to the OECD International Migration Outlook at: http://www.oecd.org/migration/international-migration-outlook-1999124x.htm



OECD IOM 2015
(PDF Document, 3.42 MB)